A Cochrane cartoonist is heading to “Mars” — and he’s taking his sketchbook with him.
Dan Barnfield, creator and host of the upcoming kids’ cartooning series BLAST OFF!, has been invited to join an educator crew at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah next month.
Barnfield will take part in the Mars Society’s Spaceward Bound program from Oct. 12 to 16, joining Crew 327 at the research station near Hanksville.
Dan Barnfield’s field work to help develop his children’s series BLAST OFF! included capturing the Cochrane Outhouse Race. Here, he chats with Jock Wilson, left, and Jon Cornish, the emcees of this year’s event. Cochrane Now/Noel Edey
From cartoonist to Mars researcher
The program uses the Utah desert as a Mars analog, with participants conducting scientific research, field observations and simulations designed to replicate aspects of working and living on the Martian surface.
Barnfield expects to take part in lab research, soil sampling and field observations. He’ll also wear a simulated spacesuit and operate a rover, while some activities will be conducted under conditions designed to mirror the restrictions astronauts would face on Mars.
It includes real-life procedures such as waiting in an airlock before heading outside, along with the communication delays that would come with living on Mars.
“For example, if I was talking to my wife and she asked me how it was going, I would have to wait 45 minutes to get that message, and then she would have to wait another 45 minutes for me to say, okay.”
Barnfield learned about the program while researching space travel and scientific studies for BLAST OFF!.
The Mars Society’s annual educator program is generally aimed at kindergarten to Grade 12 educators, but Barnfield decided to make an unusual pitch.
“I’m a cartoonist. This is what I do. I would love the opportunity to go with your educators just this round,” he said.
The response was positive, opening the door for him to join the October crew.
An unexpected journey for BLAST OFF!
The experience is also a real-world extension of the fictional world Barnfield has been building for the kids’ cartooning show, which is funded through TELUS STORYHIVE.
The series follows Barnfield and his crew on an asteroid colony called Bunkhouse.
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Each episode sends children into their own communities to gather ideas before returning to a space-station studio to transform what they find into characters, creatures and buildings for a fictional colony called New Cochrane.
Barnfield said the response to the project since being selected for STORYHIVE has exceeded what he expected.
“When I originally pitched STORYHIVE, I did not think it was going to go like this,” he said.
In recent months, he has connected with researchers from the Canadian Space Agency and NASA, as well as people whose work influenced him while growing up.
He also had the opportunity to speak with a graphic designer involved in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
“All of those things that helped me develop as a kid growing up, now I’m getting to not only talk but also work with some of my heroes,” Barnfield said.
Bringing Cochrane into the story
The Mars trip will also bring BLAST OFF! back to the community that inspired much of the project.
Barnfield has already been collecting footage around Cochrane, including at the rodeo, Culture Fest and the Outhouse Races. He plans to continue filming B-roll and talking with residents as the series develops.
The connection between the fictional colony and Barnfield’s real-world community is central to the show.
“The whole premise of BLAST OFF! is that kids can look at their own backyard and see the raw material for a life in space,” said Barnfield.
“Spaceward Bound is the grown-up version of that same instinct. Teachers live inside the constraints for a week, then bring the lessons home to their classrooms. I get to do the same thing with a pencil in my hand.”
Barnfield plans to document his time at the Mars Desert Research Station, with footage, sketches and photographs potentially becoming part of BLAST OFF!’s first season, teacher resources and social media.
The series is aimed at students in Grades 3 to 6, along with their families and teachers, and is scheduled to premiere on TELUS Optik TV and Stream+ in fall 2027.